Vacuum cup



Sept 23 1958v F. M. LITTELL. 2,853,333

' VACUUM CUP Original Filed Sept. 7, 1955 ll I I I l K l ,.21

VACUUM CUP Frederick M. Littell, Winnetka, Ill., assignorto F. J.Littell Machine Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of IllinoisOriginal application September 7, 1955, Serial lNo.

532,817. Serial No. 569,030

2 Claims. (Cl. 294-64) The invention relates to material handlingapparatus and has reference more particularly to improvements in suctioncups for gripping a metal sheet or the like as a preliminary step tolifting the sheet and transporting the same from place to place withinthe shop. v

' In the manufacture of apparatus for handling large aluminum sheets,such as may form the wing of an airplane, it is desirable to providesuction cups for the most satisfactory gripping of the aluminum sheetsand quick release of the same. One type of such apparatus incorporatessuction cups for gripping the smooth top surface of the metal sheet sothat the same may be lifted by the cups and rotated for turning themetal sheet over, whereby the sheet will rest on the top of the cups andcan therefore be safely transported.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide Divided and thisapplication March 2, 1956,

suction cups for the purposes described, which will incorporateanti-friction means for improving the suction grip of the cups on themetal sheets, whereby the cups will securely grip and hold a sheet so asto prevent slippage thereof during the turnover operation.

Another object is to provide a suction cup for industrial use such asdescribed and which will have a exible lip of substantially circularcontour whereby the area within the cup will be effectively sealed whenthe cup is caused to contact the surface of a metal sheet.

A more specilc object is to provide a suction cup having anti-frictionmeans and also having a metal plate for a backing member and wherein theanti-friction means will consist of ribs having a zig-zag formation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a suction cup havinganti-friction ribs located within an encircling flexible lip and whereinthe ribs and the liexible lip are both backed by a metal backing plate.A conduit has connection with the backing plate so as to extend throughthe same and into communicating relation with the grooves between theribs for subjecting the area within the exible lip to sub-atmosphericpressure.

With these and various other objects in View the invention may consistof certain novel features of construction and operation as will be morefully described and particularly pointed out in the specification,drawings and claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, andwherein like reference characters are used to `designate like parts-Figure 1 is a sectional view, taken substantially along line 1-1 ofFigure 2, of a suction cup having articulated relation with a supportingarm, the said cup embodying the improvements of the invention; and

Figure 2 is a plan view of the bottom surface of the cup. v

In the illustrated embodiment of suction cup as shown in Figure l, thecarriage for supporting the cup is indicated in its entirety by numeral10. At both ends of said carriage 10 the same has articulated relationwith a suction cup by means of structure including a-stud Such as 11,suitably welded to the undersurface of the carriage 10 adjacent the endand depending therefrom. The stud 11'is apertured at 12 for receivingthe support pin 13 by means of which the yoke 14 is pivotally connectedvto the carriage. Set screws (not shown) may be provided for locking theyoke 14 in the desired rotative position on pin 13 and the degree ofswinging movement of the yoke 14 about said pin as an axis can becontrolled by the addition of other screws 15.

For a more detailed description of the yoke and care' riage reference ismade to the copending application vof Frederick M. Littell, Serial No.532,817, led September 7, 1955, and entitled Vacuum Pickup and TurnoverDevice.

Whereas the support pin 13 extends transversely'of the carriage 10 thepins identified by numerals 16 and 17 extend in a longitudinal directionas regards the,v

carriage. The said longitudinal pins project outwardly from therespective sides of the yoke 14 and each pin is xed or locked to theyoke by means of a set screw such as 18. The projecting outer ends ofthe pins 16 and l17 have a pivotall mounting in studs '20 and 21,respectively, which project upwardly from the metal backing plate 22 ofthe suction cup indicated in its entiretyl by numeral 24. Said suctioncup is accordingly supported on an axis formed by the pins 16 and 17which allows for pivotal movement of thesuction cup about said axis.yAdditional pivotal movement of thesuction cup and its` yoke 14 as a`unitis permitted -by means of the support pin 13 which is horizontallyaligned with the pivot pins y16 and 17 but which is disposed at rightangles thereto.

The suction cup 24 is formed of relatively soft rubber or other suitableresilient material and the same is characterized by an annular exiblelip 25 which has encircling relation with an interior face composed of aplurality of ribs 26 alternating with grooves 28. The exible lip 25extends a short distance below the interior face of the suction cupand'said lip is directed outwardly in a diagonal direction so that whenthe cup is caused to contact the surface of a metal plate the lip willauto-` matically have sealing engagement with the plate so that a vacuumor suction can be produced within the space encompassed by the exiblelip to thus cause the cup to adhere to the plate. The annular rib 30surrounds the interior face of the cup and accordingly the rib 30defines the said interior face. Immediately adjacent the inside edge ofthe annular rib 30 a relatively deep groove 31 is provided which is alsoannular in extent and which is in communicating relation with thegrooves 28 extending between the ribs 26.

In accordance with the invention the ribs 26 have a zig-zag formationand as a result thereof their grip on the metal plate is increased andthey additionally function as anti-friction means whereby to preventslippage of the metal plate during the turning-over operation. Ofcourse, the grooves 28 between the zig-raz ribs have communicatingrelation with each other both centrally of the interior surface, due tothe central cavity 32, as well as circumferentially, due to the annulargroove 31. A nozzle 33 extends through the backing plate 22, the samehaving threaded relation with the lug- 34 provided for the purpose. Thenozzle in turn connects with a llexible hose 35 and by means of saidhose the interior of the suction cup can be subjected to asub-atmospheric pressure. Due to the extremely flexible lip 25 the cupautomatically seals with the metal plate upon contacting the same andwhen the operator connects the cup with the source of subatmosphericpressure, the vacuum created within the shallow cup securely grips thecup to the plate and the grip is maintained as long as the vacuum ismaintained on the cup.

The cup 24 is relatively shallow so as to reduce the space which must beevacuated to produce the vacuum for ladhering-'the vcup to the plate andwhich is thus gripped thereby. The grooves 28 between the ribs 26 formpassageways having connection with each other and thus Aall thepassageways communicate with the nozzle 33. Accordingly, the interiorfofthe-cup1is evacuated very quickly after the llexible lip has been placedin contact with the `surface oftthe 4plate eto lbe gripped. The suctionlrmly grips the cup to the plate andthe ribs'are thus caused to Contactthe surface of the plate. The ribs form anti-friction means and thusimprove the grip of the cup with-the plate. However, even a better gripis elected by forming the ribs-in Ithe shape of connected Vs or what isbest described vas a `Zig-zag for mation.

This is a divisional application Vofthe copending `application'SerialNo. 532,817, led September 7, 1955, in the name of Frederick M. Littellas inventor and entitled Vacuum Pickup yand Turnover Device.

The invention is .not to be limited to or by ldetails of construction ofthe particular embodiment .thereof illusto the Vunder-surface of thebacking member so -as t0 r,

depend therefrom, said cup member including an vannular lip portion andan interiorface portion disposed within and encircled by saidannular lipportion, the annular lip portion depending diagonally youtward to belowthe exposed surface of the interior face'portion, thesurface of saidinterior face portion being at throughout and beingsubstantially'parallel to the plane of the annular lip portion, saidinterior face portion comprising ribs 0f zigzag formation and which areseparated from each other by grooves, and a nozzle in connected relationwith the backing member and extending into the grooves of the cup memberso as to communicate therewith.

2. In a suction cup of the character described, the combination lwith ametal backing member, of a cup member formed of resilient rubber andhaving a secured relation to the undersurface of the backing member soas to depend therefrom, said cup member including an annular lip portionand an interior faceportion disposed within and encircled by saidannular lip portion, the annular lip portion depending diagonallyoutward to below the exposed surface of, the interior face portion, thesurface of said interior face portion being flat throughout and beingsubstantially parallel to the plane of the .annular lip portion, saidinterior kface portion comprising ribs of zig-zag formation and whichare separated from each other by grooves, an annular rib spacedlinwardlyvfrom the lip portion, an annulargroove adjacent the inside edge of theannular `rib and which has communicating relation with the rst mentionedgrooves, and a nozzle in connected relation with the backing member `andeX- tending into the grooves of the cup member soas-to connecttherewith.

YReferences Cited in the tile of this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS1,062,579 Aylsworth May 27, 1913 1,296,079 Hitchcock et al. Mar. 4, 19191,514,036 Debaecker Nov. 4, 1924

